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The Magic Ring - Background & Resources
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Silver
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Mar 28, 2012 10:27AM
Please post any background material on the author, or any other outside information that you think will be helpful and interesting to this discussion. Take care with spoilers and post warnings where appropriate.
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FYI - This weekend, I'll find some background information and post it.
I read the introduction (I usually try to avoid them until after I've read the book) -- it's short, and has some bio info on Fouque. It also discusses the importance of The Magic Ring in the history of literature (without spoiling the story), and its influence on such authors as The Inklings. I was unaware that Fouque also wrote Undine, another book I've been curious about.I'm looking for a loose and easy reading schedule. Any suggestions?
Janice and Jenn - I was thinking that there are 79 chapters, so 8 chapters per week for 10 weeks. The chapters are very short. What do you think?I can post a draft schedule later today, and then we can play with it.
NOTE: Sorry for the delay with all of this. I was going to do this yesterday, but for some reason, this week my internet access keeps intermittently going down. Hopefully this weekend, it will be fine.
Jenn and Janice - Here's my go at a schedule - I can then make tweaks based on your ideas:Week of April 1 - Book 1, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 8 - Book 1, Chapters 9-16
Week of April 15 - Book 1, Chapters 17-24
Week of April 22 - Book 2, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 29 - Book 2, Chapters 9-16
Week of May 6 - Book 2, Chapters 17-24
Week of May 13 - Book 2, Chapters 25-27/Book 3, Chapters 1-5
Week of May 20 - Book 3, Chapter2 5-12
Week of May 27 - Book 3, Chapters 13-20
Week of June 3 - Book 3, Chapters 20-28
Lynnm wrote: "Jenn and Janice - Here's my go at a schedule - I can then make tweaks based on your ideas:Week of April 1 - Book 1, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 8 - Book 1, Chapters 9-16
Week of April 15 - Boo..."
Thanks Lynnm. And yes, the chapters are short, so this should be doable. If I fall behind, you will just have to drag me along :)
I have two interesting appendices in my book -- Appendix A is Literary Influences, and Appendix B is something called The Field of Terror, which looks like a short story by Fouque? I haven't looked too closely at it, so I'm not sure why it is included.
If these are also included in your copies, I'd like to tack both onto the end of our reading schedule and maybe wrap up by the end of June. I think the discussion of influences is the perfect sort of digestif after a good read.
Janice: Might I suggest that you post those Appendices here in the Background section marked as Spoilers? Some people like to read about such influences prior to a read and that is what this Background & Resources section is for. To show as spoilers you do this (view spoiler)
Janice - I like that idea. I will change the schedule to reflect that after Jenn comes on with her suggestions.Madge - Good idea, but not sure if they are on the web somewhere. I planned on checking, but since this isn't a well known book, I'm not hopeful. Personally, I like wait until afterwards to read background information - I like "pure" reads. But as you said, some people like to read beforehand.
The reading schedule is fine. I agree that the appendices should be posted here. But instead of adding them onto the end of the reading schedule I think we should just let people read them when they choose and then discuss here in this thread.
I don't like 'virgin' reads Lynn and prefer to get as much background information as I can either before or during reading. Horses for courses:D. Background information posted here can be openly referred to or discussed without fear of spoiling as folks get to the chapters in question or they can be part of a summarising at the end of the read. Background stuff does not necessarily 'spoil' but can give information as to what was in the author's mind, or life, at the time, or enlarge upon geographical locations etc. Titbits can enhance the reading, especially if the going gets a little dull.
Okay, based on comments, here is a revised schedule. We can continue to discuss background information on this thread during the course of the read.I'm going to continue to find information on the web, but since there is only one edition, we all have the same Introduction and Appendix A-Literary Influences in the book.
Week of April 1 - Book 1, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 8 - Book 1, Chapters 9-16
Week of April 15 - Book 1, Chapters 17-24
Week of April 22 - Book 2, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 29 - Book 2, Chapters 9-16
Week of May 6 - Book 2, Chapters 17-24
Week of May 13 - Book 2, Chapters 25-27/Book 3, Chapters 1-5
Week of May 20 - Book 3, Chapter2 5-12
Week of May 27 - Book 3, Chapters 13-20
Week of June 3 - Book 3, Chapters 20-28
Week of June 10 - Appendix B, "The Field of Terrors"
I was looking through the recommended readings mentioned, and I am going to try and find one of them in the University library where I work: Frank Bergmann's "The Roots of Tolkien's Tree." If I find it, I will post major points here.I also would like to find Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories." It looks like it is on the web, but it is not on any site that I'm familiar with and don't want to take a chance on a computer virus when I'm sure that I can easily find it in the library.
Well, the Appendix A Literary Influences in The Magic Ring is actually a wonderful collection of short summaries/notes, each summary covering a tradition or era that is incorporated into Fouque's novel, with each summary then followed by a short list for Further Reading.The essays are titled "The Arthurian Tradition," "The Crusades," "Christianity," "The Gothic Tradition," "Norse/Germanic Myths," and "Romanticism."
Personally, I am going to save those summaries until I am through with the book. They will help me transition back to the real world :)
Because the notes/summaries in Appendix A are recently written and copyrighted by the editor, Amy H. Sturgis, the only way to read them would be in the published book.
Also, to Lynn, I would like to find Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories" online also. I currently have two of Max Luthi's books sitting (mostly unread) in front of me -- "The Fairytale as Art Form and Portrait of Man" and "Once Upon a Time: On the Nature of Fairy Tales."
Unfortunately, unless we extend the reading schedule, I doubt that I will be able to do much parallel reading of Luthi for background... unless we just continue the conversation after finishing the book, to discuss these resources. I'd enjoy that.
PS -- Madge, does this mean you are joining us in the read? If so, yay! :)
LOL. I'm just popping in and out, looking more at the background stuff Janice, in case my knowledge of European history and politics might be useful. BTW you can get over the copyright situation by copying the text as a quote and acknowledging the author since we are not doing this for commercial gain.
Janice George wrote: "Well, the Appendix A Literary Influences in The Magic Ring is actually a wonderful collection of short summaries/notes, each summary covering a tradition or era that is incorporated into Fouque's n..."I'll put Appendix A at the end of the read as well.
And the two Luthi books sound good - I'll have to look for them in the library. Fairy tales/fantasy/scifi aren't my expertise, but I enjoy reading them and just started looking into more scholarly books/essays on them.
And I'll let you know if I can find Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories" on a safe online site. One of my colleagues has a lot of books on this genre, and I can ask her as well. I can the scan it, and send it to you via email as a .pdf file.
MadgeUK wrote: "LOL. I'm just popping in and out, looking more at the background stuff Janice, in case my knowledge of European history and politics might be useful. BTW you can get over the copyright situation b..."Bummer, Madge. I was hoping, but I've also see you pop into the Dickens Project as well so I had a feeling that you wouldn't be able to join us.
Updated schedule...Week of April 1 - Book 1, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 8 - Book 1, Chapters 9-16
Week of April 15 - Book 1, Chapters 17-24
Week of April 22 - Book 2, Chapters 1-8
Week of April 29 - Book 2, Chapters 9-16
Week of May 6 - Book 2, Chapters 17-24
Week of May 13 - Book 2, Chapters 25-27/Book 3, Chapters 1-5
Week of May 20 - Book 3, Chapters 5-12
Week of May 27 - Book 3, Chapters 13-20
Week of June 3 - Book 3, Chapters 20-28
Week of June 10 - Appendix A, Various Essays
Week of June 17 - Appendix B, "The Field of Terrors"
Bummer, Madge. I was hoping, but I've also see you pop into...I'm faithless Lynn:D.
"If you really read the fairy-tales, you will observe that one idea runs from one end of them to the other -- the idea that peace and happiness can only exist on some condition. This idea, which is the core of ethics, is the core of the nursery-tales." - G. K. Chesterton
Janice George wrote: ""If you really read the fairy-tales, you will observe that one idea runs from one end of them to the other -- the idea that peace and happiness can only exist on some condition. This idea, which i..."I like that quote; thanks for posting. And usually the condition is connected with an element of goodness: fairness, loyalty, bravery, etc.
Silver wrote: "Some information about the rituals of Knighthood http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/order-o..."
Thanks - nice information.
